INSI DE THI S ISSUE

1 March Webinar Meeting

Information
2 16
th
Annual Popsicle
Bridge Contest Summary
3 Schedule of Upcoming
Events
March, 2011 -Volume 3 Issue 12
Ri chmond Branch - ASCE
http://www.ascevi rgi ni a.org
Younger Member Chair: Education Outreach Chair: Membership Chair: Communications Chair: Government Relations Chair:
Chris Miller Mark Yanik Chris Ray, P.E. Craig Ponte, P.E. Austin Clark, P.E.
President: President Elect: Vice President: Secretary/Treasurer: Past President:
Amanda Harmon, P.E. Mike Howell Amy Bird Tony Gaynord Paul Hinson, P.E.
SOLVING PROBLEMS AND PURSUING OPPORTUNITIES: A MORE
CREATIVE APPROACH AN ASCE LIVE WEBINAR

Date: March 23, 2011
Place: Timmons, 1001 Boulders Parkway, Richmond, Va 23225
Time: 12:00 1:30
Costs: $20.00
Menu: Assorted Sandwiches, Chips, Drinks

Contact Amy Bird to RSVP at abird@dewberry.comor
804-205-3338 by Monday March 21, 2011

Want to take a fresh look at where you and your organization are going, or could be going, in a
rapidly changing world? Worried about difficult economic times and market challenges? If so, this
webinar may be for you. The webinar leader has great confidence in the intelligence, knowledge,
imagination, and good will of the kind of people mostly technical and scientific professionals --
who typically work within E/A/C firms, government entities, manufacturing firms, and universities.
When brought together, given a challenge, and provided with whole brain collaboration tools,
good things will happen. We know most of the creativity, the innovation, the stuff that drives
productivity lies, says Jack Welch, the former Chairman of GE, in the minds of those closest to
the work. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the webinar will draw. The handout
includes references to
Our instructor will be Stuart G. Walesh, Ph.D., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE. Dr. Walesh provides
management, engineering, education /training, and marketing services. He draws on more than 40
years of engineering, education, and management experience in the government and private
sectors to help individuals and organizations engineer their futures. Dr. Walesh has functioned as a
project manager, department head, discipline manager, marketer, professor and dean of an
engineering college.

These online courses use teleconferencing Microsoft Live Meeting Professional software to make
the courses actual live, interactive learning experiences. You will be able to ask the instructor
questions and get live real time answers. The instructor will be able to conduct polls to gage
your interest in certain areas and ask you questions as well. You will receive course materials by
e-mail prior to the seminar and will be able to view the instructor's Power Point slides during
the seminar. These types of online courses have a much higher impact than simply reading
material on the web. Live telephone/web seminars offer exceptional convenience and are very
cost-effective.

Page 2
ASCE Richmond Branch - March Newsletter



On Sunday February 20th, over 150 Middle and High school students, along with their
parents and teachers, joined ASCE at the Science Museum of Virginia for the Annual
Popsicle Bridge Contest. This year marked the 16th consecutive year that the
Richmond Branch has hosted the event. The contest took place during the Careers in
Engineering Field Day sponsored by the Richmond Joint Engineers Council which
brought together almost two dozen local engineering societies and college programs in
an effort to educate students about the engineering profession.

As part of the bridge contest, students in each age group (Middle and High School)
competed for a variety of awards including the Most Aesthetic Bridge and the Most
Innovative Bridge. However, the highlight of the event was of course the testing the
bridges to failure! The bridges were scored on an efficiency rating determined by the
equation:

Load the Bridge Carried at Failure
Weight of the bridge
2

The most efficient bridges carried well over 550 lbs before their maximum capacity
was reached! As impressive as this was, what drew the most reaction from the crowd
was one behemoth bridge which reached over 770 lbs before breaking the rigging that
was used to test the bridges! Thats quite impressive considering that the students
were limited to standard craft variety Popsicle sticks and Elmers Multi-Purpose glue in
the construction of their bridges!

A highlight video of the event was put together on YouTube which can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4NqJu52aPU.

The ASCE Richmond Board would like to thank all of the volunteers who showed up to
support the event and all of the effort that they put in planning the event over the
past several weeks and months. Special thanks also goes out to the numerous local
companies and groups which helped to sponsor the event this year.











16th Annual Engineers Week Popsicle Bridge Contest

ASCE Richmond Branch -March Newsletter Page 3

Popsicle Bridge Contest
Sponsors (Continued)














Support your branch! Would you like to advertise your companys
logo in next months issue? The cost is $10 (checks only, made
payable to ASCE Richmond Branch).

Contact any board member for details.






Date Speaker Topic Location
March 23
Stuart G. Walesh, Ph.D.,
P.E.
March Webinar Meeting
Timmons
(Boulders)
April 14 Contech
Joint Meeting with ASHE
VDOT Central
Office
May TBD
Monthly Branch Meeting
TBD
TBD -
Flying Squirrels Baseball
Game Outing
The Diamond

There is more great information at
ascevirginia.org

Schedule of Upcoming Richmond Branch Events